Chiptunes: Music from an Unlikely Source
- By Matthew Callahan
- January 5, 2010
For the past few years, I have been fascinated by a largely underground phenomenon known as "chiptunes." The term chiptunes refers to a type of music; it is not a genre, but rather a method of making the music.
Chiptunes are created by utilizing the sound chips from old computers and video game systems. Popular chips include those from the Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo Game Boy.
Philadelphia even has their own monthly chiptunes event, 8static, which is organized by the nonprofit technology group The Hacktory. I attended the most recent 8static, having never seen a live performance of chiptunes before. Not only were there chiptunes artists from across the country performing, but there were also visual artists providing live "8bit video" utilizing some of the same classic hardware as the musicians themselves.
Having already resolved to take the plunge from listener to composer, 8static inspired me to pick up a 1989 Nintendo Game Boy and make some nifty modifications like a backlight and a better audio output. I am determined to play the open mic at the next 8static event on January 9th.
A child of the video game era, I grew up with a Commodore 64 and an NES and Game Boy and so on. Certainly nostalgia was a real factor in my initial interest in chiptunes. However, as I began writing music on my Game Boy, I found a much bigger reason to love this art form. As computers become faster and are able to do more, there’s a real charm in the limitations of the now antique hardware of my childhood. Each song is a challenge to find more creative ways to get the most out of my Game Boy.
If this sounds interesting to you, check out their website for more info and directions to the event on January 9th.
Photograph courtesy of Matthew Callahan. All rights reserved.
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